Preamble

5 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Preamble \Pre"am`ble\, n. [LL. praeambulum, from L. praeambulus
     walking before, fr. praeambulare to walk before; prae before
     + ambulare to walk: cf. F. pr['e]ambule. See {Amble}.]
     A introductory portion; an introduction or preface, as to a
     book, document, etc.; specifically, the introductory part of
     a statute, which states the reasons and intent of the law.


     [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Preamble \Pre"am`ble\, v. t. & i.
     To make a preamble to; to preface; to serve as a preamble.
     [R.] --Feltham. Milton.
     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  preamble
       n : a preliminary introduction to a statute or constitution
           (usually explaining its purpose)
       v : make a preliminary introduction, usually to a formal
           document

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  28 Moby Thesaurus words for "preamble":
     avant-propos, breakthrough, exordium, foreword, front matter,
     frontispiece, innovation, introduce, introduction, leap, overture,
     postulate, preface, prefix, prefixture, preliminary, prelude,
     premise, presupposition, proem, prolegomena, prolegomenon,
     prolepsis, prologize, prologue, protasis, verse, voluntary
  
  

From Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856) [bouvier]:

  PREAMBLE. A preface, an introduction or explanation of what is to follow:  
  that clause at the head of acts of congress or other legislatures which 
  explains the reasons why the act is made. Preambles are also frequently put 
  in contracts to, explain the motives of the contracting parties, 
       2. A preamble is said to be the key of a statute, to open the minds of 
  the makers as to the mischiefs which are to be remedied, and the objects 
  which are to be accomplished by the provisions of the statutes. It cannot 
  amount, by implication, to enlarge what is expressly given. 1 Story on 
  Const. B 3, c. 6. How far a preamble is to be considered evidence of the 
  facts it recites, see 4 M. & S. 532; 1 Phil. Ev. 239; 2 Russ. on Cr. 720; 
  and see, generally, Ersk. L. of Scotl. 1, 1, 18; Toull. liv. 3, n. 318; 2 
  Supp. to Ves. jr. 239; 4 L. R. 55; Barr. on the Stat. 353, 370.